Virtual reality haptic feedback interaction system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11520407-B2
Application number	US-201817263348-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2018
Priority date	Jul 27, 2018
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

A virtual reality haptic feedback interaction system, comprising a head display module, a storage module, an electrical stimulation device, a time-division multiplexing circuit, and a flexible electrode array connected in sequence. The storage module receives haptic feedback parameters corresponding to virtual scene interaction events, and converts the corresponding haptic feedback parameters into corresponding electrical signals through its drive circuit; the electrical stimulation device controls the output pulse parameters of each electrical stimulation channel according to the received electrical signals. The time-division multiplexing circuit selects the optimal stimulation paradigm for each haptic experience, and outputs the corresponding pulse to the flexible electrode array.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A virtual reality haptic feedback interaction system, characterized in that, comprising:
a head display module: used to provide a haptic interactive environment in a virtual scene;
a storage module: connected to the head display module, used to store corresponding relationships between different haptic interaction environments and different haptic feedback parameters; the storage module comprises a corresponding drive circuit to generate different electrical signals characterizing different haptic feedback parameters; the corresponding relationships between the different haptic interaction environments and the different haptic feedback parameters are corresponding relationships between the different electrical signals and the different haptic feedback parameters;
an electrical stimulation device equipped with multiple electrical stimulation channels: connected to the storage module, used to, according to different electrical signals received, control different frequency and pulse width parameters of current pulses output by each of the electrical stimulation channels as different haptic feedback parameters, and outputs the current pulses to a time-division multiplexing circuit;
the time-division multiplexing circuit: connected to the electrical stimulation device, used to receive the corresponding current pulses output by the electrical stimulation device, and by selecting and controlling different output channels, an optimal stimulation paradigm for different haptic receptors is obtained; performs time-spatial pulse width and frequency combinations to the corresponding current pulses, and outputs to a flexible electrode array;
the flexible electrode array: connected to the time-division multiplexing circuit, used to output corresponding electrical stimulation pulses.

2. The virtual reality haptic feedback interaction system according to claim 1 , characterized in that, the flexible electrode array comprises a substrate and a plurality of contact electrodes arranged on the substrate, each of the contact electrodes is connected to a corresponding electrical stimulation channel; each of the electrical stimulation channels is controlled by the electrical stimulation device to apply currents of different polarities to different contact electrodes; the electrical stimulation channels are configured to be selectable to activate different contact electrodes to form stimulation electric fields of different shapes on a base of the flexible electrode array, thereby generating stimulation areas of different shapes on the flexible electrode array.

3. The virtual reality haptic feedback interaction system according to claim 2 , characterized in that, the contact electrodes of the flexible electrode array are of the same size, and the contact electrodes are arranged in an equally spaced manner.

4. The virtual reality haptic feedback interaction system according to claim 2 , characterized in that, the contact electrodes of the flexible electrode array are of different sizes, and the contact electrodes are arranged in a manner of intersecting large and small contact electrodes at equal intervals.

5. The virtual reality haptic feedback interaction system according to claim 2 , characterized in that, a surface of the flexible electrode array is covered with a flexible insulating material with electrode perforations, a thickness of the flexible insulating material is not less than 0.5 mm, the electrode perforations are provided on the flexible insulating material, and an area of the electrode perforations is smaller than that of a root of the contact electrodes.

6. The virtual reality haptic feedback interaction system according to claim 2 , characterized in that, working modes of the flexible electrode array comprise:
mode 1 : the electrical stimulation device outputs a positive current constant current pulse to the flexible electrode array, and only a single contact electrode outputs electrical stimulation pulses to stimulate a single skin receptor;
mode 2 : the electrical stimulation device outputs multiple positive current constant current pulses to the flexible electrode array, and multiple contact electrodes simultaneously output electrical stimulation pulses to stimulate different skin receptors;
mode 3 : the electrical stimulation device outputs positive current constant current pulses and adjusts the direction of the current through an isolator, changes current weights of the contact electrodes of the flexible electrode array, maintains a principle that a number of positive and negative current electrodes is variable but sums of currents of the positive and negative current electrodes are equal to stimulate different skin receptors.

7. The virtual reality haptic feedback interaction system according to claim 1 , characterized in that, the flexible electrode array comprises a substrate made of cloth, and a plurality flexible dry contact electrodes are attached to a surface of the cloth, and the flexible dry contact electrodes are made of flexible conductive fabric materials and are evenly distributed on the entire substrate.

8. The virtual reality haptic feedback interaction system according to claim 7 , characterized in that, the flexible dry contact electrodes of the flexible electrode array are of the same size, and the flexible dry contact electrodes are arranged in an equally spaced manner.

9. The virtual reality haptic feedback interaction system according to claim 7 , characterized in that, the flexible dry contact electrodes of the flexible electrode array are of different sizes, and the flexible dry contact electrodes are arranged in a manner of intersecting large flexible dry contact electrodes and small flexible dry contact electrodes at equal intervals.

10. The virtual reality haptic feedback interaction system according to claim 7 , characterized in that, a surface of the flexible electrode array is covered with a flexible insulating material with electrode perforations, a thickness of the flexible insulating material is not less than 0.5 mm, the electrode perforations are provided on the flexible insulating material, and an area of the electrode perforations is smaller than that of a root of the flexible dry contact electrodes.

11. The virtual reality haptic feedback interaction system according to claim 7 , characterized in that, working modes of the flexible electrode array comprise:
mode 1 : the electrical stimulation device outputs a positive current constant current pulse to the flexible electrode array, and only a single contact electrode outputs electrical stimulation pulses to stimulate a single skin receptor;
mode 2 : the electrical stimulation device outputs multiple positive current constant current pulses to the flexible electrode array, and multiple flexible dry contact electrodes simultaneously output electrical stimulation pulses to stimulate different skin receptors;
mode 3 : the electrical stimulation device outputs positive current constant current pulses and adjusts the direction of the current through an isolator, changes current weights of the flexible dry contact electrodes of the flexible electrode array, maintains a principle that a number of positive and negative current electrodes is variable but sums of currents of the positive and negative current electrodes are equal to stimulate different skin receptors.

12. The virtual reality haptic feedback interaction system according to claim 1 , characterized in that, the time-division multiplexing circuit comprises a time-division multiplexer connected to a time-division demultiplexer; the time-division multiplexer comprises a synchronous rotary switch, which rotates synchrono

Assignees

• Univ South China Tech

Inventors

• Shu Lin
• Peng Qian
• Xu Xiangmin

Classifications

• G06F3/014

  Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves · CPC title

• G06F3/015 Primary

  Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection · CPC title

• G06F3/016 Primary

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F3/012

  Head tracking input arrangements · CPC title

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title